# Chinese Speakers -- What Do You Blurt Out When Surprised/Vexed/Pained? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 21, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065 "2011-02-21T00:21:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/1 "2011-02-21T00:21:37Z")
“Aiyo!” or “Aiya!” ? I’ve heard both, the former largely from Cantonese speakers, the latter from Mandarin speakers. Not as though I have a large enough sample, though, to say there’s a pattern (and, I think I’ve heard the same people sometimes use both). ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/2 "2011-02-21T00:47:12Z")
i think if they are surprised or in pain they get blurp out whatever? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/3 "2011-02-21T01:18:36Z")
I lived near Beijing and all I ever heard was “Aiya”. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/4 "2011-02-21T01:34:43Z")
Both ‘aiyo’ and ‘aiya’ are acceptable in Cantonese. Actually, the second syllable is often softened to something closer to a schwa nowadays. Of course, when a Cantonese speaker is REALLY surprised/vexed/pained, more likely than not that will also be accompanied by swearing. ‘Aiya, puk gaai lo, diu!’, for example. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Jay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@The\_Jay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Jay)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/5 "2011-02-21T03:00:37Z")
I picked this up when I spent a year working as a dealer in a casino. My expressions range from “aiya” “aiyo” and every now and than “hiyoooooooooh” ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/6 "2011-02-21T23:29:10Z")
Amy from Futurama says “Aiya” followed by what sounds like it could be profanity. > [@wikipedia](#): > > When angered, Amy occasionally starts cursing in Cantonese (“Amazon Women in the Mood”), such as “Ai ya da si ni”, which literally translates to “Beat you to death”. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/7 "2011-02-21T23:31:59Z")
> [@The\_Jay](#): > > I picked this up when I spent a year working as a dealer in a casino. My expressions range from “aiya” “aiyo” and every now and than “hiyoooooooooh” Ed McMahon Lives! ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/8 "2011-02-21T23:47:51Z")
I am not native Chinese but speak Cantonese and lived in Hong Kong for a while. When I read the thread title, without reading the post, I immedately thought “Ai Yaa!” The “Yaa” that I heard in my head is schwaa-ish. Kind of in between the “AW” in "Jaw"and the “O” in “On” sound. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/9 "2011-02-22T16:38:58Z")
Mandarin speaker here. “aiya” is general surprise or alarm. “aiyo” I would say is more of the “tsk tsk” or “oh no, not again” variety of exclamation. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/10 "2011-02-23T05:44:45Z")
Another Mandarin speaker here (Taiwan). I hear both a lot. What robardin says makes sense, but I never paid close enough attention to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/11 "2011-02-23T06:20:06Z")
Aiyo is more common in Shanghai than Aiya. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/12 "2011-02-23T06:34:13Z")
A Chinese immigrant I know says “Shit!” ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-speakers-what-do-you-blurt-out-when-surprised-vexed-pained/572065/13 "2011-02-23T12:26:51Z")
My father-in-law says “aiya,” with the last vowel either a schwa or, if he’s really surprised, drawn way out. –Cliffy